Jean-Louis Gabriel Lafosse (15 March 1941 – 13 June 1981) was a French racing driver. He was most closely associated with the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, in which he finished second in 1975 and 1976.
In the European Touring Car Championship, Lafosse won the 1974 500 km of Vallelunga, and the four-hour race at Monza the same year. He was runner-up in the Tourist Trophy in 1976.
Lafosse had been provisionally entered in the 1974 Italian Grand Prix, scheduled to drive a Brabham for Scuderia Finotto alongside Carlo Facetti, but his entry was refused by the organisers.
Lafosse was killed during the 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans, when his Rondeau M379C suffered a mechanical failure on the Mulsanne Straight, veered to the right, and struck the guard rail next to a marshals' post at unabated speed, before crossing the track and striking the opposite guard rail. Two marshals were injured, but Lafosse died instantly. Lafosse' body was partially ejected and can be seen being dragged across the track with only his legs and lower body remaining in the cockpit. Photographs immediately prior to the accident showed damage to the front of Lafosse's car, with grass in the front air intake, suggesting that he had run off the track moments previously, possibly causing the damage that contributed to the fatal accident.
Racing record
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Scuderia Filipinetti Mike Parkes Jean-Jacques Cochet Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GTS5.0 302 7th 3rd Équipe Gitanes Cigarettes de France Reine Wisell Hughes de Fierlandt Lola T282-Cosworth S3.0 164 DNF DNF North American Racing Team Giancarlo Gagliardi Dino 308 GT4 LM S3.0 30 DNF DNF Automobiles Ligier Gitanes Guy Chasseuil Ligier JS2-Cosworth S3.0 336 2nd 2nd Grand Touring Cars Inc. François Migault Mirage M8-Cosworth Gp.63.0 338 2nd 2nd WM A.E.R.E.M. Xavier Mathiot Marc Sourd WM P77-Peugeot GTP 90 DNF DNF Pozzi-Thompson JMS Racing Claude Ballot-Léna Ferrari 512BB IMSA+2.5 218 DNF DNF Gelo Sportswear International John Fitzpatrick Harald Grohs Porsche 935 Gr.5+2.5 196 DNF DNF Porsche Kremer Racing Ted Field Danny Ongais Porsche 935 K3 Gr.5 89 DNF DNF Calberson Jean Rondeau Jean Ragnotti Rondeau M379-Cosworth S+2.0 28 DNF DNF
Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Pts. Scuderia Finotto Brabham BT42 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0
References